Treacherous Minds
by iguanawana
Summary: Cain needs to learn to think before opening his mouth. Riff needs a break.
1. Chapter 1

**This is the first time I've ever tried to write fanfiction, ever. It got a little out of hand... and I ended up with 10,000 words of Cain and Riff sabotaging themselves and over thinking something very simple. I'd like to blame some of the hamminess on reading 'Ludwig Revolution' while writing it (the rest is just my fault). I'm also sorry about the porn, it just slipped out.**

**Nevertheless I did have fun writing this and I hope at least someone enjoys reading it, please let me know.**

**Count Cain/Godchild and all it's characters are the property of Kaori Yuki and I'm definitely not going to make any money from this so please forgive me.**

* * *

Cain was sitting at his desk when Riff entered his room. The sun streamed in through the open curtains and made his eyes look almost transparent as he stared studiously down the lens of his microscope as some sample or another. The air was so still and silent that the shimmering dust particles hung like a sparkling, golden mist and Riff felt almost as if he weren't there, as if he were a reverent spirit observing Cain from beyond the veil. These fleeting poetic sentiments however were rudely interrupted, as they always were, by his employer ruining the mood.

"Riff I need to find out what the maximum amount of semen a person can take in before they get some kind of poisoning is, take off your trousers"

"Master Cain!" Exclaimed Riff in perfect shock, "No!" Riff had an involuntary thought of Cain on his knees, swallowing endless amounts of ejaculate to test his theory before he quickly dismissed the idea as medically impossible and then doubly dismissing it as a sick and unforgivable thing for him to think about his master. He really should stop listening to his own thoughts, they just couldn't keep up with his sense of decorum at late.

"Oh give over Riff, I just need a sample."

'Gosh phew!' thought Riff to himself, 'at least that's not what Cain was thinking of as well.' Then he realised what was still being asked for him,

"No Cain! Sir, you simply cannot ask that kind of thing of your staff, where has your sense of appropriateness gone? Has it _completely_ deserted you?"

"Not at all dear Riff" Cain brazenly replied "It was my sense of appropriateness that led me to ask you, because who could possibly be a _more_ appropriate person to get such a substance from?"

"Perhaps, god I can't believe I'm suggesting this. Perhaps yourself? Sir?"

"But Riff" moaned Cain, "what about all those lectures I had to endure about blindness and hairy palms - you can't _honestly_ be suggesting that I give myself over to sin in such a _base_ way?"

"Cain, Sir, I do not believe in your moral vacillations for one second. A clever young man like you ought to be able to gauge the relative ethical weight of self-abusing for scientific enquiry and propositioning a fellow man, and a subordinate at that! Not to mention the shocking glee with which you go about the seducing of maidens would makes you quite the hypocrite if that were the case."

"Jealous Riff? Ah well, maybe you're right and I threw aside all credos and picked the option that I personally liked the sound of!" Riff was beginning to get nervous, as unorthodox as he and Cain were, this was most improper. "But_ your _mind, let us not overlook my friend, _assumed_ that _I_ was going to be doing the collecting personally? Now Riff... what _have_ you been thinking? Were you maybe hoping that I was propositioning you?"

'Shit.' Riff panicked, Cain had got him there, "No, no, no sir, I didn't mean it like tha..."

"Stop Riff! I will have no more of this!" announced Cain, as he stood up and strode across the room towards his butler. Riff was too taken aback to move a muscle as Cain squared right up, close, to him and made a grab for his crotch.

Riff gasped, his face flushing, M-master Cain, what on earth…!?" he stuttered, trying to back away but finding himself trapped against the closed door already.

"Shh Riff…" crooned Cain, punctuating it with a gentle, teasing squeeze. He laid his other palm flat onto Riff's chest and stroked the heel of his hand upwards until his fingers reached Riff's jaw, angling his butler's face to look into his eyes. "May I?"

Riff could not manage any sound of assent except for heavy breathing as Cain leant up and pressed the softest of kisses to his lips, before pulling back and giving Riff the filthiest look that he had ever been given, and then abruptly dropping to his knees to attack Riffs trousers. Riff choked so hard that thought that his lungs about to explode, 'I'm not built for this amount of stress' is what he would have thought if his entire world and all his blood with it hadn't just gone rushing towards the activity of his wayward master several feet below his brain.

Cain had already freed him from his undergarments and was looking up expectantly (some would say smugly) at his dazed servant, with one hand on Riff's hip pinning him to the door and the other absent-mindedly stroking his shaft. As Riff looked down he realised that this was his last chance to bolt. Cain, in a moment of seriousness stopped his hand,

"Riff you can leave now, I won't hold it against you and we can never speak of this again... But." he added, smirking wolfishly "If you stay you know that I shan't let you regret it." Riff had no proper response for this, Cain had him utterly and they both knew it

Cain lowered his lips to kiss the tip of Riff's erection his spare hand moving to card through his pale pubic hair and tug gently at his sac. Riff observed with bated breath as his master seemed to breath in his essence, all his attention now focused on the task at hand. Cain then opened his lips and began to suck Ruff unto his warm, wet mouth.

Riff groaned in appreciation as his fingers scrambled behind him to turn the key in the lock. His mind was double firing over the image, the reality of his master on his knees worshipping his manhood, staring up at him coquettishly with wide faux-innocent eyes and humming in his pleasure, sucking Riff down in tight rhythm as if he were born to do it. Riff's hands went for Cain's hair and Cain rolled his head back into the touch as if desperate for greater contact. So Riff gripped his inky tresses and pulled him off and upwards rather roughly. Cain made an annoyed noise which Riff put an end to with a rough and hungry kiss. Tasting himself on Cain's tongue thrilled him and Cain kissed Riff back with passion, moving, pressing his mouth along Riff's jaw line to bite down hard where his neck joined his shoulder.

"Riff take me to bed" Cain panted against his servant's collar bone, "Now."

"You seem to have convinced me, don't you? Master Cain" said Riff with an incredulous chuckle, sweeping the slender earl up into his arms and bearing him away.

"Haha, and on such a flimsy pretence too?" Cain purled as Riff deposited him on top of the covers, "You really are _too easy_" he said reaching up to loop his arms around his butler's neck, "I never thought that this would work quite so well."

"Sir" Riff replied, following the pull of Cain's arms down to hover over his master, one knee resting on the bedspread, "I don't believe that you were initially trying at all... you're not_ quite_ that bold.

Cain took offence to that summation, offered as it was, with an all to knowing smile. He might not have been planning this, but he'd be damned if he let Riff think that he'd not been seduced, adeptly, intentionally. So Cain flipped them, very adeptly, and positioned himself sitting on of Riff's (still exposed, and very much still in the game Cain couldn't help but notice) lap.

He glared imperiously down at his servant in a manner that he hoped conveyed sentiments along the lines of, 'you are at my mercy and I shall be doing whatever I want with you'. Which Riff interpreted along the lines of, 'my pride's been stung and I care enough about you to care what you think of me' which he found endearing.

"Riff why are you looking at me like that? Stop it at once!"

Riff tried very hard to not look like whatever it was that had offended Cain, which was a challenge seeing as he didn't know quite what he'd done, "I'm sorry Sir, but I don't know how I'm looking."

Cain 'hmphed' as he began to pull at Riff's tie and deftly undo his buttons, rolling hips for good measure, making Riff gasp. "You ought to be looking like you're... like..." He couldn't quite grasp what was wrong with the situation, with Riff. Riff certainly wasn't like anyone else he'd taken to bed, of course he wasn't. That was the point somewhat. But what was so uncomfortable about Riff's gaze? Cain looked down at his enraptured man, he let his fingers ghost down Riff's bare chest and thought back to all the other's he'd had in this position, they were usually drunker than his butler, but that wasn't it. They were usually (although not always) younger than Riff, they were obviously never as dear to him or as close to him as Riff, yet that wasn't the problem. Maybe, maybe it was that they were usually more... impressed? Riff wasn't impressed? How dare he!"

"Riff get out." Demanded Cain, so suddenly that Riff didn't have time to process it before Cain had thrown himself off him and buried under the sheets.

"Master Cain?! What's wrong?" Riff inquired shakily, pushing himself up onto his elbows, his head snapping around to see where Cain had gone. When had that switch happened? What had made Cain sound so decisive? Had he done something wrong? Was his mater alright?

"I said OUT Riff!"

And Riff had no choice but to scramble up and out of the room, fumbling with the lock.

As the door closed behind him he flattened himself panting against the wall and caught his frantic reflection in the mirror opposite. His hair was sticking out at all angles from when Cain had flipped him and his clothes were um... he didn't think they'd ever looked like that. He raked a large hand down over his face trying desperately to fathom what had just happened, how it had happened, and praying that no one would stumble across him in his sorry state.


	2. Chapter 2

Back in his room Riff collapsed onto his bed, he knew in the back of his mind that there were other things, so many other things, that he ought to be seeing to, but he couldn't compel himself to move. What has just happened? He had no idea what had just happened. How on earth had that escalated so quickly? What was he thinking? God, what was Cain thinking? What did Cain think of him? He must have been appalled, disgusted. Cain never ordered him out like that, not like that... not just to get away from him. Riff was almost weeping out of shame and worry. What if Cain hated him? What if he felt betrayed? God! What if it was a test and he'd failed? No, Cain wouldn't do that... probably.

Riff prided himself on always being able to understand what Cain was feeling, where he was, what he needed. But now. Now Riff had no idea. He tried to draw his mind into the space where he could feel Cain, except it was dead, blocked, Riff couldn't for the life of him calm down enough to access it. He was too confused, too worried, too... _ugh_.

Riff levered himself upright, he had to get up and carry on regardless, act as if nothing had happened, at least in front of the other servants and Miss Merry. As he set about putting his clothes right he noticed the bite mark on his shoulder, he didn't even recall how Cain had got there under his starched collar. He touched his fingers to it and took in a deep breath, trying to rationalise what had happened. Had Cain started it or had he? He was certainly in a... less than saintly state of mind when he'd entered the room. Yet Cain, Cain had asked him for a semen sample!? Of all the unlikely things, what on earth was he up to? Did he really want that, or did he just want a reaction? Had Cain actually planned this and then backed out, or was it an impulse? Of course most likely was that he really did need a semen sample for some case and just hadn't thought before asking, in which case Riff had taken advantage of him horribly!

No, no that wasn't right, Cain had pushed for it, Cain had definitely moved first (rather presumptuously in fact) Cain had asked _permission_, and Riff had given it to him. He shouldn't have done that. Riff shouldn't have done that, shouldn't have let Cain go so far, further than he was clearly comfortable. Oh god! And he'd been _rough_ with him! What if Cain feared violence from him? Riff should never have even looked at his master that way in the first place! It was sick! It was Riff's job to protect Cain and to protect Cain from himself, and from Riff too. He was awful and twisted and wrong, and Cain would be in his rights to fire him, banish him and never speak of him again.

Riff, slightly more comfortable now he could blame earlier events on himself, ran a comb through his hair and resolved that for the good of everyone, he was never to look at Cain _that_ way again. He never should have, and unless Cain insisted, he'd never acknowledge that he ever did. For all his goodness Riff was no ethicist, he was comfortable in his absolutes, and his single moral touchstone was his master. Cain was his deity, and Riff had no right to want him. It was better that way. That way Cain could be safe.

xxx

Three days later and Cain hadn't allowed himself to show any sign to anyone that anything had ever happened (who else but Riff could he tell anyway?). He didn't quite know what to do about it. It would have been easier, he thought as Riff cleared away the tea things, if Riff weren't playing the same game.

His sensitivity to his butler's presence, which was always high, had gone out of control. Riff usually entered and exited Cain's space as naturally as air, but his presence now only made Cain uncomfortable. Not in the sense that he no longer _liked_ Riff being near him, (As Riff was clearly assuming) but that couldn't be in the same floor as Riff, let alone the same room without being hyper aware or Riff's every breath, every step, every turn of his head, like a wall of damned up _feeling_ threatening to overwhelm him. And Cain could feel it like pinpricks all the way down his spine whenever Riff's attention was turned towards him, which to Cain's frustration was _a lot less_ _than usual._ He stole a glance at Riff's neck as he exited the room, trying to imagine the mark that must still be left there, and wondered what Riff did when he caught it in the mirror. Would he contemplate it? Ignore it? Or dig his fingers into hoping to prolong the bruise. As much as Cain's morbid predilections fancied option three he knew his servant well enough to know that he was internally writhing with shame at ever having touched Cain, or apparently having thought about him.

'Pity', thought Cain, '_I _wouldn't be ashamed of violating me... even if it _was_ more a case of me violating him.' Cain, typically, did not ascribe too much weight to _how_ he had "seduced" Riff or ejected him from his room. Far too confident in Riff's innate understanding of his master's whims and needs, and not nearly sensitive enough to his servant's own motivations. He had figured out by now that 'not impressed' was definitely not what was actually wrong with Riff, but he did not yet have a better explanation. 'So what have I got? I have one butler, formerly assumed to be unseducable... who proved to be seducible... who I have now rendered doubly unseducable. Bugger, I've buggered it. Or rather I haven't... Or rather he hasn't... Of fuck it all! If only that stupid, attractive bastard hadn't looked so unruffled! He needs ruffling. I need to make him want me again. Really want me... To need me like I need him. If he had the decency to do that to begin with we'd never be in this mess.'

Cain was no ethicist either, and despite all his natural social graces he was comfortable with his assumption that he was personally warped beyond normal human feeling, and therefore it never occurred to him to walk earnestly in another's shoes. That way he could always do what he wanted.


	3. Chapter 3

For the next week Cain resolved to flaunt his right to do as he wanted, and took a new person to bed with him every night. Sometimes back to his house so that Riff could watch them skulk out in the morning, and sometimes he went to theirs so that he could flounce in. He didn't want the company so much as he wanted a reaction from Riff. There were an infinite number of ways that Cain could have drawn Riff's attention, but Cain wanted the attention of a particular part of him, so it was that part that he targeted. Unfortunately it wasn't working out exactly as planned.

xxx

Riff was pacing the corridors doing his nightly checks, seeing that everything was in order and dimming the gas lamps now that the other staff were all in bed upstairs. He felt separate from them somehow, and cursed himself for it. Although as head butler he was their superior he still _belonged_ more to their world than to Cain's, at least he did nowadays. It was hubris really, he thought, that let him think that he could touch his master. He fancied that he retained an arrogance about himself from day's past when he was still a student, and he carried that into his work here. His determined damned perfectionism, he _had_ to be the best, the youngest most capable butler, he had to because? Because he had always been bought up to believe that if he was best in his field his social standing would rise with his professional standing? He shook his head, that didn't apply to servants, only to doctors. He'd do his job, he liked his job and in honesty it was probably more challenging than that of a medical specialist, stuck in a university hospital somewhere, prodding people's sores and oozings dispassionately. That's what he'd once wanted wasn't it? Before the fire he'd wanted so badly to become a doctor, and yet he's never wanted to actually care for someone, to make them better. That's what he wanted for Cain, why he had to stay.

Cain had gone out for the evening and Riff did not expect to see him back until late, or early. That was often the way, there was outwardly nothing unusual about tonight. He knew that his young master would be seeking the embrace of another tonight, but there wasn't anything unusual about that really either. Still it bothered him. Rationally he knew that Cain was prone to stifling his own feelings with meaningless encounters, if he was unsure of himself he tended to assert himself until he won back his self-belief. So when his discomfort was born of affairs of the heart... or other organs, he'd seduce his was out of his troubles and emerge a few days later as self-possessed as ever. Riff chuckled to himself, Cain was far more resilient than either of them gave him credit for, he didn't _really_ need Riff. So why? Why keep him around...? Probably to make the tea. That thought broke Riff's heart a little. It certainly had seemed this past week that Cain was trying to push Riff away, that's what it seemed like to Riff. He'd barely laid eyes on him, Cain was spending as much time out of the house as possible, not rising until past noon, and the presence of others banished Riff from his room in the evenings. He was feeling, if anything, lonely, still rather rejected, and although the rational part of his mind believed Cain was justified in not wanting Riff anywhere near him, he couldn't help but mourn his absence.

As if on cue Cain chose this moment to make his entrance downstairs, that night's conquest in toe by the sound of it. Riff checked his pocket watch realising that he'd been mooning about the corridors for longer than he'd thought, although by his estimation Cain was still early. 'He must have found someone particularly eager' he figured dispassionately. Riff could hear them rustling around the hall, heading towards the stairs confirming his suspicions, and only had time to back himself into an alcove before they came hurtling up and into Cain's chambers, the door bouncing behind them. 'My, Cain is too careless' thought Riff. 'If he can't even stop to close a door... what would happen if a maid happened past, what if I happened past? He must realise that I stay awake until he's in every night. I suppose it doesn't matter what I know, I'm only the butler, I don't see anything do I?' Riff felt that that was a bit downbeat, even for him and was momentarily a little ashamed of himself. Of course Master Cain didn't mind if Riff knew what he was up to, he knew Riff wouldn't judge him, at least not that way, he couldn't really now. So he decided that it was appropriate to make good on his promise to never betray Cain, and decided to express that by going to close the door without being noticed, lest a maid really did come past and see that the young master was in bed with a lover.

Riff didn't intend to linger at the door. He didn't want to see... anything. But as he reached out for the handle he glanced in involuntarily and he could not help but fixate on the scene within. He could see Cain quite clearly in the soft lamplight, straddling his conquest on the bed, just like he had Riff. Riff shuddered at the memory, had that only been a week ago? Cain's shirt was open, but not off, Riff knew that Cain would never take it off in front of such a person. The warm light banished the usual palidness from his skin. To Riff he looked so alive, so golden. But his eyes were cold as he leant down to kiss his partner, Riff could see that even from so far away. Cain's eyes had not been cold when Riff had kissed him, they'd been blazing with interest, inquiring, deducing, taking in every detail. Obviously too much detail, because when Cain was with him he'd stopped. What was it that this girl had that Riff didn't, or was that better put the other way around? What did Cain see in Riff that made him pull back and return to these people in which he clearly saw nothing. Riff could not tell, he did not know, and he felt ashamed for spying on Cain in such a private moment between him and... himself.

He had turned his head and go, leaving his master to sort out his demons by himself, and was half way across the landing when he was jerked back suddenly by Cain's cry. He rushed back to the crack in the door (in his disquiet he's forgotten to close it) and was greeted by the sight of Cain being spread out on the bed by the nameless woman, positively growling in arousal. Her legs were wrapped around him, his wrists were pinned against the bed and his face was contorting in ecstasy as he breeched her. Riff coloured from head to toe, he shouldn't watch, but he also on a basic level _wanted_ to see. He wanted to see Cain like that, and it struck him that _so many_ people had. But never him. And he couldn't move.

xxx

Cain _was_ aware that Riff was about when he came in that night. He deliberately didn't shut the door to lure Riff to it. And when he sensed that Riff had walked away, he cried out to get him back. Cain was not a kind man after all and he _wanted_ Riff to see him.

xxx

Riff watched, enraptured by the sight of his lord writhing on the bed, sensuous and lustful as anyone could expect a lover to be. He panted and sighed and whispered, what Riff assumed, given the reaction it got, deeply perverted nothings. Cain moved to enter her from behind pinning her shoulders down and looming over her like a great predator. Riff almost felt pity for this girl as he could once again see the bored look in Cain's eyes as he rutted into her and the whole act struck Riff somewhat as an act of masturbation on Cain's part. This lady was giving Cain everything that he wanted and Cain was giving her just an illusion of intimacy. Not that she necessarily minded he reminded himself, he'd like to think that Cain wouldn't take advantage quite so callously. Yet Riff was still a little disgusted at Cain for being so shallow. At least until something shifted and Cain gasped, his eyes becoming alive once more, sparking in the semi-darkness. Riff guessed that his lover had managed to please him somehow. Riff could see that Cain was now fully animate and engaged, and he was enchanted once more by his master's body in motion, his chest heaving, the sweat on his torso seemed alive once more, the erotic tension of his muscles under his skin, pulling taught as he approached his climax... but then his eyes caught onto Riff's as he came.

Riff froze. He'd been caught. He'd been seen, how could he ever justify that?! So again he ran.

But he'd paused too long, he could hear Cain clattering out of the room behind him.

xxx

"Riff! Riff wait! Riff come back! I can explain... RIFF STOP"

Riff stopped in defeat and slumped against the wall, Cain could barely make him out through the shadows.

"You should go back to your guest my Lord, I'll bring your breakfast in the morning..." Riff sounded so resigned and bitter that Cain's heart skipped a beat.

"Riff I'm sorry"

"What exactly for master Cain? There's nothing for you to be sorry about. I'm the one who should apologies to you.."

"No! no... no but you haven't done anything wrong... you haven't done anything that I didn't want you to."

"REALLY CAIN!? _really?_ I'm supposed to take it that everything is _your_ fault am I? That I have no agency of my own? No capacity for evil? Unlike you? You're bad for the both of us?" Cain was too shocked at Riff's sudden irascibility to do anything but stand there, naked, in the dark hallway. "Cain for once I do not know what you are thinking, I do not understand how you are behaving, What is _wrong_ with you?!... I'll" he stopped shocked with himself, "I'll see you in the morning... my lord..."

Cain bit back tears for the first time in as long as he could remember. "FUCK-FUCKING FINE THEN, FUCK OFF RIFF! FUCKING LEAVE ME!" and he stormed off back down the corridor, he didn't stop to hear Riff's whisper,

*_But what is wrong with me?*_

_xxx_

Back in Cain's bedroom his abandoned lover was listening with polite disinterest to the fight between master and servant. She could only catch parts but he got the jist of it well enough. She fancied that she'd probably be spooked too if a servant had eavesdropped on her having sex, even if she was a man. She'd probably not have the guts to run after them and confront them with no trousers on, it was quite funny really. But then again, Earl Cain had always been notoriously close his man. Maybe that was it? No probably not, otherwise there'd be no reason for her to be there. More likely this Riff fellow acted as some kind of guardian, after all she didn't think that Cain had yet quite reached the age of majority. Yes that'd be it. Managing the Earl probably ran the poor bloke ragged, no wonder he was tetchy.

Cain sloped back in looking wretched and sat down on the edge of the bed. His young friend looped her arms around his waist and Cain allowed himself to be drawn into her embrace. It was his bed after all, he might as well take advantage of the comfortable things in it. He lay there for a while in quiet dejection.

"Listen... don't let it worry you, I'm sure he means the best for you... ah I mean, he'd be pretty negligent if he _didn't_ mind this kind of thing, wouldn't he?

"And what would you know about it?" mumbled Cain, quite without heat, "You've no idea what's going on here." He almost wished that she did so that he could have someone to confide in. Blast Riff for being the problem.

"Maybe not... but if my father caught me at this I reckon someone would have been shot by now, or run through... or something."

"My father… What are you saying! Riff isn't my father! How could you even think that?..." It clearly escaped him that she meant only to offer comfort by pointing out that fathers are far stricter with their daughters than his servant was with him.

"I didn't mean that. I meant tha..."

"Nope, you didn't, now shut up." And Cain silenced her with a kiss, allowing himself to be drawn back into the haze of intimacy so that he wouldn't have to think about the horribly traumatizing image of Riff as his father.


	4. Chapter 4

Riff had observed the young lady leave from his window, just before six o'clock while he was shaving. He'd actually gotten more sleep than usual that night, as after he and had Cain fought around midnight he'd gone strait upstairs and collapsed into a dreamless slumber. Perhaps it was irresponsible, but Riff could only imagine how he'd be feeling if he had stayed up until his usual hour. In fact he was feeling better than he really had any right to, and went downstairs to see to the morning's work in an almost chipper mood. Maybe he was in denial, or maybe shouting at Cain was deeply cathartic.

Riff did not anticipate his lord rising until at least eleven, so at the appointed hour he appeared, like usual, in Cain's room, breakfast tray in hand with the morning papers freshly pressed. Cain blinked up at him blearily and Riff smiled gently down at him, pretending that he couldn't smell the reek of sex that surrounded Cain like a heavy cloud.

This tactic seemed to work as Cain was suddenly _deeply_ creeped out. What was Riff doing pretending like nothing had happened? Had he cracked and gone insane? Or was this his way of apologising, even though he still had nothing to apologise for...?

"Riff... what's gotten into you" he tentatively asked as he sat up and took the papers and tea.

"Nothing sir and that's exactly the point isn't it?"

"Hmm yes, yes.." Cain nodded his agreement without quite knowing what it was he was agreeing to. "Riff... I'm sorry..."

"Nothing to be sorry for sir."

"Yes there is, I told you to fuck off, it was very rude of me, I didn't mean it and I'm sorry... although if you don't start acting like a human again, I might tell you to do it again."

"And how exactly am I acting sir? Please tell me and I'll correct it."

This confounded Cain or a second, because as far as he could recall robots had not been invented yet and that comparison could not be drawn, although the general idea of soulless devotion to rules and duty made it through.

"Like a..." 'Father,' supplied his traitorous mind... "like a _servant_!"

'Ha! that showed him... actually fuck. Fuck on so many levels.'

xxx

Cain couldn't, no matter how many times he turned it over in his mind, _get rid_ of that _stupid_ assertion that Riff was like his father. That girl was wrong. Riff was nothing like his father. He really wasn't at all. However maybe he was like _a_ father? Perhaps? Carolina had no idea what his real father had been like, hell, she probably had a much better idea than Cain did of what a father was actually like. Maybe Cain's feelings for Riff had actually been yearnings for a proper, normal father all along. Did Riff treat him like a son? He seemed to love Cain unconditionally, tried to set a good moral example, keep him under control... 'Good grief' he thought, 'maybe I out to go see one of those fashionable head doctors, lay down on their red sofa and let them have at me... shit! I seem to also have a doctor complex (file away for future exploration), as well as a father complex, a sister complex, a dependent personality, a lack of regard for social norms and a rampant bisexual libido.' He ticked off his ongoing list. 'They'd lock me up in an asylum and never let me out again, I better keep my distance or I'll be labeled as a threat to myself and to society at large... They might have a point there though...'

"SO... what's got you then?"

'The men in white coats!' Oh, that was right, he was with Merry, he'd quite forgotten (he added disassociation to his list of psychological disorders and then considered adding hypochondria). "Sorry Merryweather, I was away with the fairies" he replied.

"No you were not. You were thinking about Riff."

"Aaaand what makes you think that?" Damn her, she was too clever. "Why would I be thinking about the staff when I'm having a pleasant stroll in the park with my darling little sister?"

"Cain what's wrong?" She gave him a hard look.

"Alright, alright..." He could never resist her for long. "Would you say that Riff is like a father to us?"

"Ha! What!?

"Well he looks after us, he's been the only person who's cared for me since I was twelve, the only person who's _cared _for me ever, and he cares for you too... and he's old... and tall... and things."

"And he shouted at you last night for bringing a girl home?"

"WHAT?! How did you know about that? How...even... what!? Listen Merry, whatever you heard is a lie!" Cain had been reduced to a blushing, nervous wreck, god how did she manage to always find these things out? was she a witch?... well she kind of was...

"I'm very perceptive. Also your fight was very loud and I saw her leave in the morning."

"Oh. At 6am?..." Merry didn't bother to dignify that with a reply, of course at 6am, when normal people woke up.

"And as for Riff being a father, he's nothing like father and I don't know where you even got that from. I thought the whole _point_ of Riff was that he was nothing like father!"

"Well what if him being nothing like father makes him actually like a father?"

"Cain you seem to be getting Riff confused with uncle Neil... Riff let's you get away with practically _anything_. If _anyone_ was going to see Riff as a father then it's me, because I'm younger than you, and I never had a father to begin with, and only I'd never have a problem with seeing a servant as a father" (because you're a horrible snob sometimes) "... _But I don't see Riff that way. _That's not what he's like at all, he's more like your accomplice." Cain considered this for a moment before Merry added wryly, "I've always thought of him more as a brother in law." Which made Cain blush all over again.

"IF you're hung up on Riff telling you off then maybe it's because you know that you deserved to be told off, hmmm?" Cain prayed that Merry hadn't noticed the rest of his recent nighttime exploits. "PLUS he was probably telling you off for your own good, and _everything_ that I've heard about our actual father suggests that he used to tell you that he was doing things for your own good when he wasn't at all." As much as that stung, Cain knew that Merry was definitely right there. "AND maybe if you didn't act like such a _child_ around him you'd never have thought of this."

"WHAT!?" Cain had clearly forgotten long ago that they were out in public...

"Brother, _you make him tie your shoelaces_, I _know_ that you can do it yourself. You are always playing at needing him more than you do. It's like you think he won't look after you unless you behave like you're still a teenager. Like you _always _need to know that he will. _He will._"

"Just how old do you think I am?"

"Old enough to know better, that's how!"

"Well you clearly know better, and you do it all the time, to both of us, and Oscar... and strangers!"

"Well I can get away with it because I'm small and adorable... You're like a big stringy spider. It's embarrassing, because _everyone_ knows it's an act."

Cain resisted the urge to call her something deeply rude, 'sisters huh, who'd have them?' But in all seriousness, she wasn't wrong, and despite feeling ashamed of himself, he did feel like the world had gotten simpler again. It didn't escaped him that Merry had given Riff and he her tacit approval, that girl was crafty, crafty and rather twisted, eccentric and not very moral, truly one of the family.


	5. Chapter 5

Since 'The Confrontation' a couple of days ago Riff had been maintaining his indifferent, cheery front. Cain really did seem to think that he'd cracked, and had been really trying to be nice to him. Cain had also said sorry, which would matter more to Riff if he thought that Cain had something to actually be sorry for. _He'd_ spied on Cain, and then shouted at him, essentially for being a messed up slut, Riff shuddered in disgust with himself for implying such a thing. It might have been true-ish... but Riff wouldn't have it said in his master's house, especially not by him, and the only reason that he hadn't said sorry was that he couldn't bear to bring it up again. That and that he hadn't had a second spare thanks to Miss Merry's birthday party coming up.

That evening the Hargreaves' London house was full to the brim with guests. Merryweather had insisted on a 'grown up' party, but Cain and Riff had decided between them that she'd actually find that dull (and it'd be rather inappropriate to boot) and quietly invited every high society child they could think of and their parents. Riff had hired extra staff to glide around with platters of perfect tiny food, and there was a 6 tier cake and a mountain of presents, none of which Merry was particularly interested in. She was however very interested in regaling the younger guests with tales of her unsavory youth and making herself thoroughly notorious. The adults meanwhile were fortunately busy getting sloshed and talking ever more loudly to one another.

Riff was praying that Oscar, who'd not technically been invited, hadn't tried to tell anyone that he was Merry's intended, because that'd just be too much. He scanned the crowd and spotted the young offender over the other side of the room, looking exceptionally wobbly and wending his way out to the corridor. Riff sighed in resignation as he picked his was through the chaos after him. He caught up with Oscar eventually in Cain's downstairs study trying to pour himself a drink from the cabinet, and he felt obligated to check that the idiot wasn't poisoning himself. That'd actually be rather tragic, and whatever Merry might say, not what she'd want to happen on her birthday.

"Mr. Gabriel, let me see to that."

"Oh, Riff, yes, alright, I can't seem to get the bloody thing open" Oscar said, handing Riff a decanter of whiskey. Riff decided that Mr. Gabriel had _definitely_ had enough and mixed him a drink that was 90% soda water. He was originally intending to shoo Oscar out but wisely decided that he was probably better off away from the public eye, as it were.

"I can't believe she's still so young Riff" said Oscar, slumped over on the sofa, "how much longer do I have to wait. People will start calling me an old maid soon."

"I don't think that anyone's going to confuse you for a maid any time soon and if you don't mind me pointing it out sir, you bought this completely on yourself. Indeed only you bring it, Miss Merryweather has never agreed to marry you..." Riff did not actually dislike Mr. Gabriel, he did however agree with his master that it was not always necessary to be polite to him.

"But why?" Oscar wailed, the drink truly had the better of him, it was quite out of character for him to be down like this. Riff was about to say that he could think of any number of reasons why when Oscar beat him to it. "How long did you have to wait for Cain?"

Riff almost passed out. "Just what are you suggesting?"

"Now don't you play sly with me Mr. fancy...tall, butler. I know exactly what you get up to with 'Master Cain'..."

"I can assure you that you don..."

"You get up to what any sensible, red blooded, man would do with one of those..."

'One of _those_? how much has he drunk?... crap, how much does he know?' Riff restrained himself to raising an eyebrow, although he was pretty sure that Oscar would not be remembering anything about this conversation in the morning, regardless…

"If I were you... actually if I were him... nope... if I _know_ him, then he's been getting you to go above and beyond the call of duty, regularly and enthusiastically for yeaaaars. I bet he's utterly filthy in the sack..."

"Mister Gabriel! Let me remind you that not all of us are degenerate as you are!"

"Oh really?" Said Oscar, lurching up to Riff, "Well I've been watching and I think that you love Cain _even_ more than I love Merryweather, and you would be a damned fool if you hadn't taken advantage of his, his general whorishness! So there!" Riff was a little too outraged to reply before Oscar could continue, but his patience was ready to give out at any second. "That boy will fuck anything, more or less... now I understand why he wouldn't fuck me, but why on Earth would he n-not fuck you?" Oscar punctuated this with a sharp jab to Riff's chest, and Riff felt his fist tighten at his side.

"Mister Gabriel! It is not your place to say such things about Master Cain, now please take that back and apologise!"

"Bullshit Riff! I'll never deny the truth! he was practically made for sin, just look at the bugger, he's like walking sex appeal, just looking at him makes people thing of all kinds of depraved, kinky thoughts and I'd be fucking surprised if he wasn't up for it, he's such a little cockslut..." Oscar didn't mean it badly, but he'd forgotten who he was speaking to... and also never had known when to stop.

xxx

The subject of their conversation, meanwhile, was surveying the party in a self-satisfied sort of way. Merryweather was happy, the guests were happy, Oscar had taken himself off somewhere... thank God. Hm, but Riff was missing also… He decided to go look for him, just in case anything was the matter, not at all because he missed him! He'd seen hardly anything of Riff the past couple of days, Riff had been so busy working to make this happen. Yes it was only right that Riff should be out here enjoying his good work, with Cain.

Cain made his way out of the party and down the hall, where he saw a light and heard voices behind the study door and assumed, correctly, that that's where Oscar and Riff had got to. Curious about what business the two of them could possibly have in there he approached quietly and set his eye to the crack. Humph, Oscar seemed to be giving Riff a lecture about his sexual proclivities, now anyone could have told him that that wouldn't go down well, at all... as it clearly wasn't. Oh! Riff was trying to defend his honor, how thrilling! Futile maybe, but Cain couldn't deny that Riff's nobility didn't always make him feel tingly. Oscar was physically squaring up to Riff, bad move Gabriel, and Cain thought for a mad second that Riff was actually about to hit him, imagine that!... Oh shit, Riff was actually about to hit him!

xxx

Riff was about to hit him. Oscar was crossing all sorts of lines and treading on even more sore spots. Riff could feel his arm tensing up getting ready to strike him, (almost as if it had a life of it's own - imagine that!) He was just about to too when Cain crashed into the room, grabbed onto the arm in question and plastered himself to Riff's side like an amorous limpet.

"Oh, Cain hello! Speak of the devil and he shall appear... I was just telling old Riff here.."

"Yes, quite. Be a dear and fuck of now Oscar. Lock the door on your way out." Cain said in a tone that had poor Oscar scampering for the exit.

"Master Cain?" Asked Riff, he was more than embarrassed to be caught in such a situation, and he had a nagging suspicion that Cain had actually overheard quite a lot of the preceding conversation.

"Yes Riff?" Cain replied... furtively

"Are you going to let go of my arm any time soon?"

"No. Why would I want to do that?"

Well that was odd. Riff had no choice but to stand there awkwardly for a few seconds with Cain hanging off him, very awkwardly.

"Riff...?" Riff turned hid head to look down at his master and Cain used the movement to spin him and shove him down onto the sofa behind. Sitting on top of him proprietally. "Riff we must talk."

"Like this?!"

"Of course. Now Riff I have to confess that I like it when you defend me like that." Cain laid his hand on his butler's shoulders and pushed himself up him so that there was barely space between them.

"Far be it from my, erm, place..." and it was not his place seeing as Cain was warm, close, and in his lap, and against his chest, and _breathing into his ear._ "...to suggest such a thing... but you are rather in the process of lending credence to his argument."

"Oh for fuck's sake Riff! Are you so disgusted with me!?" Cain drew back abruptly, almost falling off him in his haste to leave. But he was caught and pulled back down, and kissed... very... adeptly... Oh Riff! Cain could not help but lean into the kiss, taking Riff's face into his hands as their lips molded against one another growing ever bolder.

"Riff...Riff wait..." he murmured in between kisses... "Wait! I said that we needed to talk." And he tried to jerk up again to let the distance clear his head. Riff held him down, 'Oh so that's where his hands went, interesting...'

"Cain."

"Riff let go of me."

"No." Cain was shocked to say the least, Riff didn't refuse him. "Master Cain I cannot let you go until you explain to me why you keep running away."

Riff sounded so plaintive that Cain actually considered giving him a strait answer.

"Not just the other day, but always Cain, you've been doing this for years you realise... you lead me on and then you pull back at the last second, and I need to... I need to know... If you're, if you're alright."

Oh, that's not what he'd expected.

"Riff... _you_ make me alright." Cain moved in to kiss him, but Riff wasn't about to fall for it.

"Cain... that's not what I meant and you know it, because lately I've been causing you all sorts of not-alright. I need to know how to stop it."

'Hm, he's dropped the 'master' I like it.' Cain considered his options, he didn't really want to tell Riff _everything_ that had gone through his mind in the past week, so he elected to explain their first falling out. He owed Riff that much. "The other day... when I told you to get out... I shouldn't have done that, at least not the way that I did. My reasons for doing so were... selfish I guess."

Riff thought that he might need to have a discreet chat with Cain about consent.

Cain caught his butler's skeptical look and clarified, "When we got to the bed I had an awful moment where I thought that you were only there because I'd asked you... I mean that um... not that... let's say that I'm used to taking what I want" this was not going well. "IN So far as that I'm used to people wanting _me_ and taking advantage of that to the full, you see?" Riff didn't quite see yet. "And I didn't think that you really wanted me, like wanted, wanted... because I suppose you already have me, and I already have you, forever. But I still want you you see, and... I don't know what you want because you always just _accept_ whatever I give you!"

"I want you."

'?!'

"Of course I want you, I'll admit that I try really hard _not_ to want you, because I know that I'm not what's best for you. But you can't even imagine how much I want you. I can't even put into words how much I do..."

Cain decided to go with the rather cliched line, "Then prove it."

Riff actually laughed, how dare he! It was Cain's job to be melodramatic. "I think you can already feel the proof." Cain wiggled, hm, yeah he could. He decided to underline the discovery by grinding on Riff more assertively.

"I still want you to prove it." Cain grinned wickedly at Riff. Kissing him forcefully and nipping at his lower lip.

If that wasn't a come on then nothing was.

Riff actually growled and Cain felt like he was being swallowed up as Riff inverted them and cradled him against the settee. He was underneath 180 degrees of Riff. It was excellent.

"I should remind you Sir, that there are approximately _three hundred _guests across the corridor, and Mr. Gabriel probably did not lock the door in his hurry to get out."

"Oh balls. And after _you_ gave _me_ that crap about backing out. It's not as if this would make for worse gossip fodder than _anything_ that has happened in this room in the last half hour. Come on. Please?"

"Sorry sir, but it's the half hour that worries me, we'll be missed and I just couldn't allow that." Said Riff with mock sincerity as he stood up... despite the actual sincerity. "Not to mention I would make a horrible mess of your clothes."

"Riff you are a swine! You must promise me that you'll make this up to me later!"

Riff swept Cain up and into a final passionate kiss, setting him down onto his feet. "I can promise you that much Sir." he said with an actual rakish grin. Stepping out of the room and back to work as if nothing was different.

'That utter bastard…' thought Cain fondly as he watched him go, somewhat proud of his butler's professionalism, despite the trouble it caused him. '…I'm not going to able to get rid of this hard on for at least ten minutes.' So he sat there in the darkness trying very hard not to plan his revenge.


	6. Chapter 6

**Warning - this chapter is completely gratuitous**

* * *

Later that night Cain had to wait in agony until Riff had seen out the guests, overseen the cleanup and cajoled the younger servants into bed. (They'd gotten quite drunk finishing off the glasses of wine they were supposed to be collecting. Luckily none of them were poisoned.) Normally Cain would have excused Riff from his other duties and readied himself for bed, however tonight he had an unusually deep and personal interest in waiting around for him. Tonight there was more than usual to wait around _for._

Cain had considered allowing Riff to see to him and put him to bed exactly as usual, albeit with some erotic differences. But during his time spent in feverish anticipation he'd decided that he was too hot, and that his starched shirt was itchy, and soon ended up completely undressing himself. Which was a pity because he was rather looking forwards to Riff doing that, not that he wouldn't have Riff do that every night from tomorrow until forever if he had his way. When the time came for Riff to finally make his appearance Cain had just about arranged himself alluringly on the bed in his robe, determined now that Riff was to at no point be allowed to have _any_ second thoughts. The scene from two weeks ago still loomed at the back of Cain's mind. He _still _hadn't quite forgotten that Riff's composure had damaged his pride, and being essentially narcissistic he probably never would. However a little self-knowledge had gone a long way, Cain was ready to once again turn his vanity into immodesty, for the benefit of his new paramour of course.

Cain waited in the low light until he could hear Riff's footsteps ascending the stairs and approaching his door slowly, almost tentatively, and he almost ran to the door to catch him in fear of him turning away at the last second. Riff's knock at the door reverberated in Cain's thumping chest and he had to take a moment before answering to calm his breath, determined to appear collected so that Riff wouldn't think him shy. Riff of course would never have thought of him as shy, vulnerable sure, but never shy, an impression that might have once been deliberate on Cain's part.

When Riff stepped into the room, jacket and tie already missing, he was greeted by the beguiling vision that was his master, eyeing him invitingly from the bed. He was reclining on his side, silken robe pooling around his long legs, his pupils blown out more black than golden and radiating intent. Riff faltered, held captivated by Cain, but that seemed to be the boy's aim.

"Riff, you are going to stay _exactly _where you are and not move until I say." Cain's voice was pitched low with arousal, and Riff was electrified. He was more comfortable than a sane man would be with his lord's occasional power games, and this one was much more interesting than most.

Cain let his robe slide artfully from his shoulders as he shifted his body to slide his ready oiled fingers into himself, gasping as he did so. He arched, sinuously reveling in the warm heat and imagined how Riff would feel inside him. His plan to give Riff the best show of his life was going well. Riff gaped, transfixed by him, and Cain could see from under his eyelashes that it was taking everything his servant had to stay still. Cain inwardly glowed with self-satisfaction and arousal, working his fingers ever deeper. Riff made an involuntary noise like he was going to pass out and Cain took it as a cue to kneel up, letting his robe fall from him completely and take and extra digit into himself. As he did so he caught Riff's desperate gaze and could not bear to be apart from him a second longer.

"Riff." he breathed, "come to me." and before he had finished his words we was bowled over and pinned against the headboard.

"Oh, hello, how nice to see you." Cain did not know where his sense of humor had emerged from so suddenly. Maybe it from the happiness that naturally came to him when Riff was near.

"My _Lord_ Cain," Riff replied politely, taking his hand to kiss it, "I've certainly seen a lot of _you_ recently."

"And did it please you?"

Riff clearly didn't feel the need to dignify that with and answer as he set about kissing Cain thoroughly from head to toe, whilst struggling out of his remaining clothes, aided by a laughing master.

When Riff was disrobed fully Cain ran his hands over him in wonderment, for all the hundreds of times that Riff had seen him naked, he'd _never_ seen this much of his servant. That there was so much more of the person closest to him yet to discover piqued his curiosity, and he yearned to explore every square inch of new skin. But not before Riff had explored him thoroughly. Suddenly moved, Riff bundled him up, wrapping Cain's legs loosely around his waist.

"Cain, are you prepared?"

Cain nodded, he'd never been more prepared. He locked his ankles as Riff gently, very gently, pressed into him, and mewled at the sensation of being filled. Riff took his time sheathing himself fully, rubbing encouraging circles into Cain's hipbones.

"Riff, kiss me."

" I don't think that I've ever been so at peace"

"Neither have I… Now move."

Riff let a snort out through his nose and complied enthusiastically with the demand, quickly finding a rhythm with Cain that drove them to further heights of passion.

"God Riff, I don't think that there's a limit to how much I could take of this."

"Care to test that my Lord?" Riff puffed out between thrusts, reaching out to palm Cain's erection.

"Ahk, ah, not really. I think you'd break my mind before you broke my body… or maybe the other way around." He cried as Riff grazed his prostate, sending stars ricocheting across his vision. Clutching at Riff's back in helpless subjugation, raking his nails down his spine hungry for more of him. They crashed together striving towards their climax until neither thought they could bear it any longer, and came together in a blind fit of euphoria.

As they caught their breaths, nestled in each other's arms Cain thought that he would never be more content. It had been a long road for them and it was funny that they'd finally got around to doing it in such mundane circumstances. He had always fancied that if it were to happen, it would happen after some dramatic event, perhaps a near death experience leading to vows of undying devotion. But then, he remembered, they'd been pledging themselves ardently to one another since the day they'd met. How funny that they'd got it all so backwards.

Riff felt Cain's marks down his back and caught himself enjoying the burn. It seemed Cain had made him a matching set. Of course his would fade easily within a week, but he suspected that they might have been placed there on purpose. Another question for another time. Meanwhile…

"Master Cain..,"

"What?" he replied, churlish in his new sleepiness.

"As much as I pains me I think I ought to go before I'm noticed, that is if we haven't already woken the whole house up"

"Pish, I know for a fact that this room is soundproof," Riff attempted to trample down new found jealous stirrings, "besides who is it that visits your room at night to find you missing?" Apparently Cain did too.

"No one sir."

"Then stay." Said Cain in a tone that did not invite dissent. "And don't call me sir in bed." Riff chuckled, Cain would never change. "Not unless you want to."


End file.
